Achieving Consistency in Overlay Data Models Transactions with a Network Device

1. A method for updating configuration data in a network device, the method comprising: receiving, by a configuration module of the network device, a configuration set request from a configuration client, wherein the configuration set request includes updates to a plurality of vendor-neutral configuration objects of a vendor-neutral configuration data model maintained in memory at the network device by the configuration module; determining, by the configuration module, a first subset of the updates that modify ones of the vendor-neutral configuration objects, wherein the modified ones of the vendor-neutral configuration objects are isomorphically mapped to corresponding native configuration objects of a system database maintained in memory of the network device, and a second subset of the updates that modify ones of the vendor-neutral configuration objects, wherein the ones of the vendor-neutral configuration objects modified by the second subset are not isomorphically mapped to corresponding native configuration objects of the system database; generating, by the configuration module, a set of CLI commands corresponding to the second set of the updates, wherein the set of CLI commands are adapted to modify native configuration objects of the system database to effect the second set of updates when executed; and forwarding, by the configuration module, the first subset of the updates and the generated CLI commands to a configuration agent of the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first subset of the updates and the second subset of the updates comprises, for each of the updates: identifying a path prefix for the update; determining whether the prefix matches one of a set of native path prefixes; and if the prefix matches one of the native path prefixes, determining that the update is in the first subset of the updates and otherwise determining that the update is in the second subset of the updates.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein: determining whether the prefix matches one of the set of native path prefixes comprises determining whether the prefix is included in a mapping of prefixes to native path prefixes; in response to determining that the update is in the first subset of the updates, replacing the prefix with the corresponding native path prefix; and in response to determining that a vendor-neutral configuration object name of the update is different from a native configuration object name of the corresponding mapped native path, translating the vendor-neutral configuration object name of the update to the native configuration object name.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving the configuration set request, initiating a set session, wherein the configuration module is prevented from accepting a new configuration set request while a current set session is in progress.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, in response to the configuration module receiving notifications that all updates associated with the configuration set request have been received, terminating the set session.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the configuration module, one or more get requests while the set session is pending and, in response to the one or more get requests, providing current values for requested configuration objects.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the current values for the requested configuration objects are provided without regard to whether corresponding updates have been applied to the configuration objects.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving confirmation of successful updating of a configuration in a system database, updating the plurality of vendor-neutral configuration objects of the vendor-neutral configuration data model according to the configuration in the system database.